(CNN) - When I saw the images of the meteorite that screamed across the sky this week over Russia's Ural Mountains, it immediately brought to mind that opening sentence in Thomas Pynchon's classic, Gravity's Rainbow.

This week's passing asteroids and crashing meteorites inspire a review of audio stories having to do with outer space.

Have you ever wondered what astronauts in space hear all day while orbiting earth? Wonder no more. We have this recording of an average day on the International Space Station recorded by ISS Commander Chris Hadfield:

(CNN) – Welcome to the CNN Soundwaves Sunday Playlist, a swing through the stories and podcasts that we're listening to.

Former New York City mayor Ed Koch died this week at the age of 88. He was one of America's most well-known politicians and a man quintessentially "New York." In this week's Sunday Playlist, we'll hear about Koch from both the man himself and the mayors who came after.

First though, this remembrance from New York City's current mayor, Michael Bloomberg.

(CNN) – Welcome to the CNN Radio Soundwaves Sunday Playlist, our roundup of audio from around the Web we find interesting, informative or just plain fun.

This week sexism was big news in Germany after publication of an article by a female reporter who told readers of a sexist encounter with a high ranking politician. He commented to her that she could "fill out a dirndl." The dirndl is the Bavarian dress famously worn by waitresses during the Oktoberfest. Here's an interview on the subject from Deutsche Welle, Germany.

I never knew what a lookie loo really does until I heard this story from Marketplace. It's full of surprises and will introduce you to a new hobby.

And finally, from the West Midlands Police in Great Britain comes this short tale of a woman who's so desperate to get her computer going, she calls the police. Very entertaining.

(CNN) – Welcome to the CNN Radio Soundwaves Sunday Playlist, our roundup of audio from around the Web we find interesting, informative or just plain fun.

This past week, first lady Michelle Obama made a huge splash among fashion-watchers when she appeared with a brand new hairdo sporting bangs. In fact, if you do a Google search for Michelle Obama's bangs you'll get about 50,000,000 (yes million) results!

Melinda Henneberger of the Washington Post's She The People column on politics and culture even blogged about the first lady's bangs and invited other prominent columnist to comment, including award-winning journalist, Mary C. Curtis. While Curtis finds the whole discussion over Mrs. Obama's new 'do "silly", she does make a point that rings with truth: if she ever decides to rock an Afro or a natural look, prepare for war.

Natural hair can bring out the best and the worst in black women and their critics. It's a tortured, love-hate relationship fraught with psychological, cultural and even political implications dating back centuries.

(CNN) - Welcome to the CNN Soundwaves Sunday Playlist, our weekly look at compelling sounds made by others that we find interesting and worth sharing.

This week, the second inauguration of President Barack Obama and the official Martin Luther King holiday. Both events are happening Monday, so we're taking those as inspiration and present some related listening for this week's Sunday Playlist.

Enjoy.

Martin Luther King in Birmingham, 1963 – At this time during the long fight for Civil Rights, hundreds of activists had already been arrested in Birmingham, Alabama. King himself was arrested and held in jail for 11 days. In May, 1963 he delivered his famous "Keep Moving" speech at St. Luke's Baptist Church. "If you can't walk, crawl! But by all means, keep moving." Listen to this recording from Smithsonian Folkways: FULL POST